ABBA celebrate 40 years of success

At an event to celebrate 40 years since ABBA hit the big time by winning the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Waterloo', ABBA members talk about their lasting success. Rollo Ross reports.

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It's been 40 years since Swedish pop group ABBA hit the international stage by winning the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Waterloo'.
To celebrate the anniversary, two of ABBA, Bjorn and Frida turned out for a special celebration in London on Tuesday April 7th, and took the opportunity to stress that their success with 'Waterloo' wasn't their defining moment.
SOUNDBITE ABBA member, Bjorn Ulvaeus, saying (English):
"It happened over quite a long period of time. I mean, we didn't have a hit after hit after hit, we, we had a hit and then we wrote another song, recorded it, and released it. It was like that. It seems today when you look back at it as though it was all happening at the same time but it wasn't."
Nevertheless, it was a chance for their hardcore fans to wish the band a happy 40th birthday. The evening was a celebration of everything ABBA with a photo exhibition, ABBA merchandise on sale, Swedish hotdogs, and of course a lot of dancing to classic ABBA tunes.
SOUNDBITE ABBA fan, Camilla Cookson, saying (English):
"It's incredible but ABBA is ageless. Any time, any way, any space, ABBA is here and now, forever."
SOUNDBITE ABBA fan Alan Lamprell, saying (English):
"For pop songs, it's as good as it gets." (Sings)
As ABBA have insisted they will never perform together again, it was up to the ABBA choir to round off the celebrations for the anniversary of one the world's biggest selling groups.

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